What can be said about our time here. Heavy ... Introspective ... Life ... Spiritual ... Miraculous ... Special ... Anxious ... all of those things to varying degrees. Coming through this experience the second time through has been very similar to the first ..... and different. Similar in that I've come to love everything about this place, even to a greater degree. Different in that God's purpose for bringing me here changed this time through. Either way, God has spoken loudly to me and to our team. And I've found that my family has grown to include others I've only known in part. Now I know them intimately. I can only pray that I was as much an encouragement as they have been to me.
Although I'm personally sad that we are coming back after what seems to be such a short time, I'm ready to be home. I want to kiss and hug Misty. I want to stare into her eyes and talk about the deep things the Lord has revealed to me while we've been apart. I want to "Love attack" Rylin and Emmy to the Ground, kissing and hugging and laughing. Daddy's got a spikey face right now so that'll be really fun. I can't wait to tell stories while laying on the trampoline before bed-time talking about how the Lord has designed everything above us to be just another testimony of His presence; That while I was away I stared at the same sky thinking of them and wishing they were here running around without shoes, mud on thier face and in their hair, without care or concern for anything but the moment. I think they woulda given Joti, Lucy, Bree, Mere, Salote, Joe, Joeli, and Filipe an run for their money. Maybe some day.
Ok, Ok, enough of the poetry. You get the point. Pray for me and us as we process the "What now" for each of us.
I can't wait for testimony Sunday on the 24th. Oh yeah, and yes, you can be sure that all the men now have Cane Knives and we're not afraid to display them!
Love you all. Thank you for following us with your concern and with your prayer and with your attention. See you soon!!!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Last Day :(
This week has been incredible, but man it flew by! I can't believe we're leaving today. This morning when everyone was scattered around getting things ready to go I went up and had morning snack with the girls and we were all feeling like we just got here. I'm not looking forward to saying goodbye.
I'm pretty sure everyone has had their day of writing on the blog except Mat and I, and since we've been writing here and there all week I guess we're all covered. :)
One thing I want to share about is the teaching time that Courtney, Nancy and I were in charge of this week. It has just been incredible to be able to connect with these beautiful women on a really close up and personal way. We worked along side them in the garden getting dirty, we helped babysit the kids while others worked, we spent time sitting around campus talking and praying with each other. Its just been powerful. On Wednesday morning Courtney and I were talking about what the Lord was leading us to share with the girls during "uni" (short for university) and we decided to go out on a limb and talk about purity and sexual sin and about what the Lord has called us to. It was the only uni we had where no other staff members were there, just us 3 girls and the homes of hope moms. We had so much fun! We were blown away with the responses, questions, testimonies, and struggles. Courtney did a really great job getting down to the nitty gritty and opening up the floor, and then I came up behind her and shared about the grace of God and what its like to leave your burden at the foot of the cross and not carry it around. The great thing was we had the chance to hear from the girls that afternoon in the garden about how they got answers for the first time about things they struggle with, and one of the girls was feeling convicted about the relationship she was in. It was encouraging for us because its actually really hard to tell if they are even listening sometimes because of the babies crying and the kids climbing all over you. Its great though because even during worship these girls have their kids climbing over them and talking but they keep singing with their eyes closed and hands raised completely focused on the Lord.
Last night we went to a nice dinner with Mark and Cheryl Wilson and had a great time of fellowship and conversation. I know Court and I felt really encouraged by Cheryl and left the dinner feeling peaceful about what we've done and what God's continuing to do on this campus.
Our last devotional time was great this morning. Our team has truly become a family (and believe me, we all know more than we want to about each other :) and its awesome when teammates see a need and just drop everything and surround one another to pray and lift one another up. Also, the sharing time in our morning devotional has become very open and vulnerable and I praise the Lord for the trust that has been built between us. The family of God is powerful.
Here is the scripture and questions for today:
Psalm 10
1) In what ways might you have been like the wicked man, indirectly contributing to the problem of sexual exploitation or trafficking?
2) Where is God in this darkness?
3) What is ultimately the only hope for these girls?
4) How could you pray differently when you return home?
5) Spend time in prayer, make verse 12 your prayer on behalf of these girls.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We've had an incredible whirlwind of a week, and I think I can speak on behalf of our whole time when I say we have been changed from the inside out. God has done a lot in each of our hearts and we look forward to coming back and to being more involved in our own town and state. God is good! (I told the girls this morning that next time I hope to have my whole family with me... so get ready Blevins!!)
Please pray for our safe journey home. We leave here in about 4 hours and we'll be traveling until about 6pm on Saturday Arizona time. Love you!
~Anna
I'm pretty sure everyone has had their day of writing on the blog except Mat and I, and since we've been writing here and there all week I guess we're all covered. :)
One thing I want to share about is the teaching time that Courtney, Nancy and I were in charge of this week. It has just been incredible to be able to connect with these beautiful women on a really close up and personal way. We worked along side them in the garden getting dirty, we helped babysit the kids while others worked, we spent time sitting around campus talking and praying with each other. Its just been powerful. On Wednesday morning Courtney and I were talking about what the Lord was leading us to share with the girls during "uni" (short for university) and we decided to go out on a limb and talk about purity and sexual sin and about what the Lord has called us to. It was the only uni we had where no other staff members were there, just us 3 girls and the homes of hope moms. We had so much fun! We were blown away with the responses, questions, testimonies, and struggles. Courtney did a really great job getting down to the nitty gritty and opening up the floor, and then I came up behind her and shared about the grace of God and what its like to leave your burden at the foot of the cross and not carry it around. The great thing was we had the chance to hear from the girls that afternoon in the garden about how they got answers for the first time about things they struggle with, and one of the girls was feeling convicted about the relationship she was in. It was encouraging for us because its actually really hard to tell if they are even listening sometimes because of the babies crying and the kids climbing all over you. Its great though because even during worship these girls have their kids climbing over them and talking but they keep singing with their eyes closed and hands raised completely focused on the Lord.
Last night we went to a nice dinner with Mark and Cheryl Wilson and had a great time of fellowship and conversation. I know Court and I felt really encouraged by Cheryl and left the dinner feeling peaceful about what we've done and what God's continuing to do on this campus.
Our last devotional time was great this morning. Our team has truly become a family (and believe me, we all know more than we want to about each other :) and its awesome when teammates see a need and just drop everything and surround one another to pray and lift one another up. Also, the sharing time in our morning devotional has become very open and vulnerable and I praise the Lord for the trust that has been built between us. The family of God is powerful.
Here is the scripture and questions for today:
Psalm 10
1) In what ways might you have been like the wicked man, indirectly contributing to the problem of sexual exploitation or trafficking?
2) Where is God in this darkness?
3) What is ultimately the only hope for these girls?
4) How could you pray differently when you return home?
5) Spend time in prayer, make verse 12 your prayer on behalf of these girls.
Thank you all for your prayers and support. We've had an incredible whirlwind of a week, and I think I can speak on behalf of our whole time when I say we have been changed from the inside out. God has done a lot in each of our hearts and we look forward to coming back and to being more involved in our own town and state. God is good! (I told the girls this morning that next time I hope to have my whole family with me... so get ready Blevins!!)
Please pray for our safe journey home. We leave here in about 4 hours and we'll be traveling until about 6pm on Saturday Arizona time. Love you!
~Anna
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Update!
Hello church! We’re sorry the internet has been down for almost 2 days now. We’re having our bloggers write in word document so we can copy and paste when we get a signal. Its Friday morning here and we’re all ready to hammer out as much as we can on our last day, and the girls and I (Anna) are going to have a response time for the girls this afternoon in our last teaching time. We are all having an incredible week, and its flying by. I can’t believe its almost over. Anyways here is our morning devotional update for today and yesterday and then some blogging from Rob Dolson and Mark.
Thursday devo: Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:14-21
1) What does this tell you about the mission of Jesus in the world?
2) How do you think Jesus’ mission relates to victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking?
3) How might you or your church be used by God to release some of these girls out of darkness
Friday devo: Matthew 25:31-46
1) What stands out to you about God’s assessment of our lives in the end?
2) If you were to be assessed right now, which category would you fall in?
3) How might you live differently when you get home to prepare for meeting the Lord?
Hello from Fiji,
Yesterday we had a fun day visiting the village. The chief was bragging that they had the best rugby team around. One of the men told us we were in the village of the Fijian Rugby coach. There were a lot of young men in the village, many more men then woman. I learned that a village is made up of about a dozen clans. A clan is made up of two or three families. The village we visited had about 600 members while 200 were not residents of the village like Nada who lives on the Homes of Hope campus. We ate what is considered a feast with the locally grown Taro plant as the main course. The men were all in very good shape as vegetables made up the majority of their diet. They all seemed excited by our presence and two boys chased us riding a horse bareback as we left. As we returned to campus we ate dinner with the girls and children. The children love getting thrown around by the men. They just say again, again! The girls at homes of hope have truly been an inspiration to us as we have lived with them this past week! To realize the tremendous hardship some of them had experienced and now see them so full of life and faith is a great testimony to God’s great love for his creation.
Rob
Greetings from Fiji,
This is the first (and only) opportunity I have had to contact home since arriving in Fiji last week, so before I write anything else, I need to say hello to my thee children, my girlfriend Bev and to all my family and friends back in America. I miss all of you, and I look forward to catching up upon returning in a few days. What an amazing experience this has been for all of us! From the time we reached the island, we have been busy working on the schoolhouse here at “Homes of Hope”. However, at the end of every day, we take time to share dinner and stories with the women and children. They are full of the Holy Spirit, and their strength and faith in Him inspires me! It is very moving to hear the girls sing songs of worship throughout the day, and I find myself captivated by the smiles of their children. Yesterday, we took a day off and traveled to a remote village where we witnessed firsthand how Fijians truly live off their land. Personally, I connected with “Judas”, who was kind enough to welcome us to share a waterfall located on his property. Like him, there are so many others that I will remember and pray for, including Nada, Salote, Jawopy, and especially “Mare”, one small little girl that has captured my heart. She seeks me out every day, and I can’t help but feel the love she displays through her words and expressions…talk about learning something from a child! Well, I better get my old butt up to the school before the guys give me more grief than they already do. They may have more experience in construction, but they are no match for my spirit!!! God Bless you all, and please pray for our safe return. Mark Mann
PRAYER REQUEST!
We finally have a concrete pump truck to get the cement up the hill to get the 2 slabs poured today. The problem is, its starting to rain and the clouds are dark and thick and don’t look too promising. We leave tomorrow so today is pretty much the last chance to get it done, plus its been a struggle to get the truck here. So please pray for the weather and the productivity for today. We love you guys!
Thursday devo: Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:14-21
1) What does this tell you about the mission of Jesus in the world?
2) How do you think Jesus’ mission relates to victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking?
3) How might you or your church be used by God to release some of these girls out of darkness
Friday devo: Matthew 25:31-46
1) What stands out to you about God’s assessment of our lives in the end?
2) If you were to be assessed right now, which category would you fall in?
3) How might you live differently when you get home to prepare for meeting the Lord?
Hello from Fiji,
Yesterday we had a fun day visiting the village. The chief was bragging that they had the best rugby team around. One of the men told us we were in the village of the Fijian Rugby coach. There were a lot of young men in the village, many more men then woman. I learned that a village is made up of about a dozen clans. A clan is made up of two or three families. The village we visited had about 600 members while 200 were not residents of the village like Nada who lives on the Homes of Hope campus. We ate what is considered a feast with the locally grown Taro plant as the main course. The men were all in very good shape as vegetables made up the majority of their diet. They all seemed excited by our presence and two boys chased us riding a horse bareback as we left. As we returned to campus we ate dinner with the girls and children. The children love getting thrown around by the men. They just say again, again! The girls at homes of hope have truly been an inspiration to us as we have lived with them this past week! To realize the tremendous hardship some of them had experienced and now see them so full of life and faith is a great testimony to God’s great love for his creation.
Rob
Greetings from Fiji,
This is the first (and only) opportunity I have had to contact home since arriving in Fiji last week, so before I write anything else, I need to say hello to my thee children, my girlfriend Bev and to all my family and friends back in America. I miss all of you, and I look forward to catching up upon returning in a few days. What an amazing experience this has been for all of us! From the time we reached the island, we have been busy working on the schoolhouse here at “Homes of Hope”. However, at the end of every day, we take time to share dinner and stories with the women and children. They are full of the Holy Spirit, and their strength and faith in Him inspires me! It is very moving to hear the girls sing songs of worship throughout the day, and I find myself captivated by the smiles of their children. Yesterday, we took a day off and traveled to a remote village where we witnessed firsthand how Fijians truly live off their land. Personally, I connected with “Judas”, who was kind enough to welcome us to share a waterfall located on his property. Like him, there are so many others that I will remember and pray for, including Nada, Salote, Jawopy, and especially “Mare”, one small little girl that has captured my heart. She seeks me out every day, and I can’t help but feel the love she displays through her words and expressions…talk about learning something from a child! Well, I better get my old butt up to the school before the guys give me more grief than they already do. They may have more experience in construction, but they are no match for my spirit!!! God Bless you all, and please pray for our safe return. Mark Mann
PRAYER REQUEST!
We finally have a concrete pump truck to get the cement up the hill to get the 2 slabs poured today. The problem is, its starting to rain and the clouds are dark and thick and don’t look too promising. We leave tomorrow so today is pretty much the last chance to get it done, plus its been a struggle to get the truck here. So please pray for the weather and the productivity for today. We love you guys!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Wednesday Morning Devo
This morning our scriptures were Psalm 82:3,4; Proverbs 31:8,9; Jeremiah 21:12; and James 1:27.
1) What do these passages of Scripture teach you about social responsibility?
2) How would you explain the relationship between spiritual health and social responsibility?
3) What's God's warning (through Jeremiah) for people who ignore social responsibility?
4) Are you currently doing the things commanded in these passages?
5) How might you do more when you return home?
Conversation on the back porch this morning was based on how we as Christians respond to the Lord in a way that is much deeper than social responsibility. Erik was sharing that if we are focused on Christ, we will desire to serve him and respond to him. Serving the Lord in our society is included in what we would call a Christian life. We know a lot of people who do good things and who serve their communities, but we are set apart to do the will of God and if we are disobedient or choose to remain ignorant, we will evoke an anger in the Lord that I'm pretty sure none of us want to experience. :)
God is good and we are all being touched in different ways. Pastor Mat had us go around in a circle and everyone shared briefly what is on our hearts so far this week and how we can be prayed for. When one person shared, another teammate would choose that person to pray for for the remainder of the week, focusing on what they shared. This is a pretty cool experience and our team very clearly cares about one another. When we're all working for the same goal, God really blesses the relationships. Praise the Lord! Homes of Hope is truly a vessel He is using to change each one of our hearts. ~Anna
1) What do these passages of Scripture teach you about social responsibility?
2) How would you explain the relationship between spiritual health and social responsibility?
3) What's God's warning (through Jeremiah) for people who ignore social responsibility?
4) Are you currently doing the things commanded in these passages?
5) How might you do more when you return home?
Conversation on the back porch this morning was based on how we as Christians respond to the Lord in a way that is much deeper than social responsibility. Erik was sharing that if we are focused on Christ, we will desire to serve him and respond to him. Serving the Lord in our society is included in what we would call a Christian life. We know a lot of people who do good things and who serve their communities, but we are set apart to do the will of God and if we are disobedient or choose to remain ignorant, we will evoke an anger in the Lord that I'm pretty sure none of us want to experience. :)
God is good and we are all being touched in different ways. Pastor Mat had us go around in a circle and everyone shared briefly what is on our hearts so far this week and how we can be prayed for. When one person shared, another teammate would choose that person to pray for for the remainder of the week, focusing on what they shared. This is a pretty cool experience and our team very clearly cares about one another. When we're all working for the same goal, God really blesses the relationships. Praise the Lord! Homes of Hope is truly a vessel He is using to change each one of our hearts. ~Anna
It's truly been amazing to see the beautiful spirit of the girls. It breaks my heart that the very people that were supposed to protect them in most cases were the ones that violated that them. I praise God for the ones that have come to know Him in spite of all those violations!
For the past two days I have been working in a small group with the Indian girls. It's such a different dynamic with these girls (where as the Fijian girls are outgoing and funny) ... however, the Indian girls are very reserved and new to Homes of Hope as well! One of the girls, Puga, just arrived a week ago and is 8 months pregnant. She has been extremely quiet, but I can feel the Lord pulling on her! These girls for the most part have no idea about God and Christianity. It has been imperative to build a relationship with them since what I was about to tell them would change forever what they don't know! Over the past two days I shared my testimony and explained the fall of man, the some of the gospel of Mark, and led them in the sinners prayer Monday and Tuesday. Only the Lord knows their hearts! After we joined with the other group, Puga said to me "I really would like to learn to read and write." AHHHH!!! Just her trusting me enough to say that was such an encouragement! I am going to be working with her during some free time to teach her what I can. Obviously, I know I cannot teach her in only a couple days. But, it invites me into some one on one time with her that I am really looking forward to tomorrow! There are some others girls I really feel connected to as well, Milly, Litia, and Loretta.
The one common thread I can see thus far is these girls have had every type of trust broken ... all these things happening to them that THEY cannot control! So, they just want to control whatever they can control even if it means self destructive behaviors. My prayer for them is that they allow the Lord to break the chains and give Him control of their lives! I pray they lay their lives down before the Lord and let Him put the pieces together. Homes of Hope is absolutely the Lord providing for these girls a new hope that our Father in Heaven will never fail you! Genesis 22:14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which mean "the Lord will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
In His name,
Auntie Courtney DS
For the past two days I have been working in a small group with the Indian girls. It's such a different dynamic with these girls (where as the Fijian girls are outgoing and funny) ... however, the Indian girls are very reserved and new to Homes of Hope as well! One of the girls, Puga, just arrived a week ago and is 8 months pregnant. She has been extremely quiet, but I can feel the Lord pulling on her! These girls for the most part have no idea about God and Christianity. It has been imperative to build a relationship with them since what I was about to tell them would change forever what they don't know! Over the past two days I shared my testimony and explained the fall of man, the some of the gospel of Mark, and led them in the sinners prayer Monday and Tuesday. Only the Lord knows their hearts! After we joined with the other group, Puga said to me "I really would like to learn to read and write." AHHHH!!! Just her trusting me enough to say that was such an encouragement! I am going to be working with her during some free time to teach her what I can. Obviously, I know I cannot teach her in only a couple days. But, it invites me into some one on one time with her that I am really looking forward to tomorrow! There are some others girls I really feel connected to as well, Milly, Litia, and Loretta.
The one common thread I can see thus far is these girls have had every type of trust broken ... all these things happening to them that THEY cannot control! So, they just want to control whatever they can control even if it means self destructive behaviors. My prayer for them is that they allow the Lord to break the chains and give Him control of their lives! I pray they lay their lives down before the Lord and let Him put the pieces together. Homes of Hope is absolutely the Lord providing for these girls a new hope that our Father in Heaven will never fail you! Genesis 22:14 Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which mean "the Lord will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."
In His name,
Auntie Courtney DS
Monday, May 11, 2009
Tuesday morning devotions
This is on our way down the hill after gardening.We have some incredible hearts on our team. Our mornings start at 630 when we each go through the questions and passages from our devotional, and then we all meet at around 7 on the back porch and eat our breakfast and talk through what we did in our quiet times. Yesterday we focused on what worship really is, and to be honest, I think we often miss the mark. Its definitely easier on campus to be focused on the Lord because the people you go to church with are the people you live, work, and eat with. Rob Dolson shared that he feels justice and worship are related because of the way these girls are defenseless, and they are standing up to defend them and help provide for them through construction. The girls and I (Anna) felt that the justice in worship that we experienced was the way the girls sing and loved the Lord in such a raw and pure way.
This morning we read Luke 10:25-37 and asked these questions:
1) What does this teach you about the relationship between mercy and faith?
2) Who can you most relate to in the parable?
3) How might you specifically be like the good Samaritan this week to the girls at HOH?
The conversations that came from this time were heavy on our hearts. The desire to serve the Lord and be used by Him is evident in the hearts in our team. The more we learn about the girls the more we love them. I wont speak for everyone but I feel like its impossible not to fall in love this week. With the girls, and with the Lord. God is stirring our hearts and blessing us already. Its a really exciting thing to be in a place where you can visibly see God work in peoples lives. Even the girls who are new and who don't know the Lord yet can't explain why they feel themselves changing and responding. They don't know what to connect it to, but we know its Jesus changing them from the inside out. Its incredible.
Today is full of plans and different goals for us all, and we'll have some updates later tonight (our time) to let you know how it went. We're going to get some more pictures of the construction site as well. Thank you for being patient with updates and pictures, the internet its great but uploading pictures takes a long time. And life around here is busy. :)
Love you guys, and thanks for your prayers. Its working!
Anna
(PS please keep praying for health. We have some allergy and stomach issues but we're all healthy for the most part. I'm praying to be spared from parasites since i was digging for clay in the creek with Amaysa and Solote yesterday. :)
Monday Morning Devotions
I thought it appropriate to share with you the devotions we are going through as a team every morning. Please join us if you'd like. I think you'll find them insightful.
Read:
Isaiah 1:1-17 / Micah 6:1-8
What is bothering God about their worship?
What corrective steps does God want them to take?
What does this tell you about the connection between justice and mercy?
How might this experience (Mission Trip) change your worship when you return.
Read:
Isaiah 1:1-17 / Micah 6:1-8
What is bothering God about their worship?
What corrective steps does God want them to take?
What does this tell you about the connection between justice and mercy?
How might this experience (Mission Trip) change your worship when you return.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
We had another productive day in the schoolhouse.The kids were in class today because it is Monday here.I was in charge of installing the front doors. Solo one of the managing men was standing behind me as I bored the doors and created the framework for the doors. after I was finished, he gave me a huge hug and told me I was a hero. I found out he was watching intently because the doors were $800. dollars each! The kids were more interested in the work than their schoolwork. They gave me the nickname Peanut because I have a big round bald head. The people are amazing singers and are always beaming with positive energy. Dana Lambert
...."La creacion muestra la obra de sus dedos".......His creation demonstrates the work of his hands........The natural revelation speaks loudly, His testimony is evident, the smile, ..bula! said the little girl, the worship songs, the saws, the hammering, stumps, laughter, a concerted musical of praise and worship, I am in it, it is miraculous. Humbly I ask why? I see my self, but most importantly I see You dear lord Jesus
Erick Paternina
...."La creacion muestra la obra de sus dedos".......His creation demonstrates the work of his hands........The natural revelation speaks loudly, His testimony is evident, the smile, ..bula! said the little girl, the worship songs, the saws, the hammering, stumps, laughter, a concerted musical of praise and worship, I am in it, it is miraculous. Humbly I ask why? I see my self, but most importantly I see You dear lord Jesus
Erick Paternina
Sunday recap
Toady was a nice day got to tour the grounds here and got a real eye opener. Its neat to come to a different country and learn the different ways they do things. The lady's here are so nice. Just had great time getting started on the walls in the school.
Rob Day
Bula from Fiji!!! or Hello !!!
It has been rainy here for the last two days. The sun peeked out a few times briefly. The ladies & their children are just beautiful. One indian girl who is 14 years old had a baby boy 3 weeks ago. There is another Indian girl that just got here and she is very close to having her baby. She just looks so lost & alone. We went into a room with a concrete floor on the bottom of the school house and even though on the floor above us there was hammering and sawing going on, we had the most incredible church service. The girls sing like a choir. We could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit all around us during the worship time. Anna, Courtney, and I shared short testimonies during the service hoping to be a blessing to the ladies. One of the girls wrote me a mothers day card and that was really sweet. It had all the names of the moms on it. The sermon was on learning to trust the Lord in every aspect of our lives. The fellas got a lot accomplished today and I helped out at the school this morning, and then I ended up being the cook and the house mom. I told the men when I served the meals to take it or leave it. :) The ladies keep saying we are a blessing to them but we feel like THEY are the blessing to us.
"Auntie Nancy Brown"
Rob Day
Bula from Fiji!!! or Hello !!!
It has been rainy here for the last two days. The sun peeked out a few times briefly. The ladies & their children are just beautiful. One indian girl who is 14 years old had a baby boy 3 weeks ago. There is another Indian girl that just got here and she is very close to having her baby. She just looks so lost & alone. We went into a room with a concrete floor on the bottom of the school house and even though on the floor above us there was hammering and sawing going on, we had the most incredible church service. The girls sing like a choir. We could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit all around us during the worship time. Anna, Courtney, and I shared short testimonies during the service hoping to be a blessing to the ladies. One of the girls wrote me a mothers day card and that was really sweet. It had all the names of the moms on it. The sermon was on learning to trust the Lord in every aspect of our lives. The fellas got a lot accomplished today and I helped out at the school this morning, and then I ended up being the cook and the house mom. I told the men when I served the meals to take it or leave it. :) The ladies keep saying we are a blessing to them but we feel like THEY are the blessing to us.
"Auntie Nancy Brown"
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Sunday morning update!
We have internet! Mat and Ray have been workin hard all morning to get it up and running while the rest of the guys and gals work on the school house. I'm sitting in the living room of the guesthouse with the doors open watching it rain and I can hear the girls and their kids singing up at the campus kitchen a few yards away. Today has been incredible so far. Mat, Nancy, Courtney and I (Anna) were invited to go to the small church service with the girls in the school house this morning and it is a beautiful thing to see people so in love with the Lord. Their faces and voices are so sincere when they worship, it drove all our hearts to the foot of His throne. God is here, and it would take a whole lot of effort to try and ignore that simple fact.
A few things: We have one or two people a day to blog and update you on what is going on in their hearts and on campus. Our plan (which is always changing) is to get our blogging done around lunch time here which will be evening for you guys back at home. The other thing is we would love to get feedback from you so if you can leave a comment. There are a few instructions you need to know about commenting so here they are:
Once you click on the "comment" link and write what you want, you'll have to enter the weird lookin' letters underneath the comment box where it says "word verification." Once you do that you will need to create a username and password. If you already have an account with blogspot.com I believe that username and password works.
Thanks for praying! We're feelin good and workin hard. I can already feel the Lord stirring up my heart and making changes.
Keep checking on us and we'll try our best to keep you updated. Love!
A few things: We have one or two people a day to blog and update you on what is going on in their hearts and on campus. Our plan (which is always changing) is to get our blogging done around lunch time here which will be evening for you guys back at home. The other thing is we would love to get feedback from you so if you can leave a comment. There are a few instructions you need to know about commenting so here they are:
Once you click on the "comment" link and write what you want, you'll have to enter the weird lookin' letters underneath the comment box where it says "word verification." Once you do that you will need to create a username and password. If you already have an account with blogspot.com I believe that username and password works.
Thanks for praying! We're feelin good and workin hard. I can already feel the Lord stirring up my heart and making changes.
Keep checking on us and we'll try our best to keep you updated. Love!
Day 1
Day one was incredible! We just finished dinner. Egg salad sandwiches and tea ... which actually looks like coffee with creamer in it. We played Chinese numbers and the Alphabet game. (Thanks, Mark Connelly!) The girls are awesome. Naca, and Solo, Salote, Latia, Geoge, Miari, Simone ... We all thoroughly enjoyed each others company tonight!
The team is tired but excited about the week ahead. Tomorrow is Sunday here. The plan is to eat breakfast, work on the schoolhouse till lunch, eat, tour Home of Hope, and then go to Church in the afternoon. We'll get back after dinner in Suva City just in time to hit the sack for a busy Monday of hammering, planting, sawing, teaching, and bonding. God is everywhere here. We prayed tonight that His presence would overwhelm us. We pray that for you too.
We're still working on getting telephone access so our families may not hear from us directly for a few days. FYI Internet access is down in our guest quarters as well. I'm about a half mile from our temporary home, barefoot, sitting in front of the office and pirating their wireless. I wish you could smell the jungle ... and hear it. This is awesome!
Anyway, I need to get to bed. Love you guys. Goodnight!
-more to come tomorrow....
The team is tired but excited about the week ahead. Tomorrow is Sunday here. The plan is to eat breakfast, work on the schoolhouse till lunch, eat, tour Home of Hope, and then go to Church in the afternoon. We'll get back after dinner in Suva City just in time to hit the sack for a busy Monday of hammering, planting, sawing, teaching, and bonding. God is everywhere here. We prayed tonight that His presence would overwhelm us. We pray that for you too.
We're still working on getting telephone access so our families may not hear from us directly for a few days. FYI Internet access is down in our guest quarters as well. I'm about a half mile from our temporary home, barefoot, sitting in front of the office and pirating their wireless. I wish you could smell the jungle ... and hear it. This is awesome!
Anyway, I need to get to bed. Love you guys. Goodnight!
-more to come tomorrow....
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
FIJI 2009
I can't believe it. This time tomorrow we'll be over the Pacific Ocean flying in a Jumbo Jet till morning light. We'll be heading SouthEast on a course that will take us 4 hours past Hawaii onto a tiny set of Islands that make up Fiji.
Rob Dolson, Rob Day, Courtney Jones, Mark Mann, Nancy brown, Dana Johnson, Anna Blevins, and Erick Paternina and, of course, me are flying out of Sky Harbor at 6:55 pm. Then onto LAX, and from there, at around 11pm, we'll fly 11 hours until we reach the Nandi airport just after 5am. From there, we will pass through customs, grab our luggage, and head to another small terminal where we grab a twin engine flight lasting 25 minutes bringing us to the other side of the island into just outside of Suva City.
Once there, we'll be greeted here by Nada and a few other leaders from Home of Hope who'll get us loaded up and on our way to the mission which is about a 40 minute drive from the airport.
What an adventure! Please Pray for us! Pray that God would have full access in our hearts. Pray for increased faith for each of us. And, of course, pray for our mission to the girls!
Anna, has put a schedule together for each of us to blog. Check in on us daily for updates. Each day someone new will be writing about their experiences. Please leave comments and questions if you have them. You can also check out what's happening at TeamFiji.org.
Love you guys! FOR HIM!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)